The 10 Most Anticipated Windows 8 Laptops & Desktops

Windows 8 was released on October 26th, 2012, and with its next iteration of OS Microsoft has given developers a more feasible way of developing touch-based laptops and desktops to capture some of the market that they lost to tablets. There are a host of new devices available right now, and while some of them are hybrids of tablets and notebooks, others still work as laptops. Here are some of the ones we're most anticipating.

HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4Can a touchscreen notebook bridge the gap between tablets and laptops? HP seems to think so. This inexpensive ultrabook comes with a 1.8GHz Intel Core i3-3217U processor, integrated Intel HD 4000 graphics, 4GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, and a 32GB solid state cache. This configuration will set you back $799.99. This 14-inch machine will be available in December 2012 from HP.

Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 13Apple doesn't make a convertible laptop/tablet combination, which could be one of the reasons that there are so many that are upcoming. Lenovo's IdeaPad Yoga is more of a hybrid than HP's Envy ×2. The base $999.99 configuration comes with an Intel Core i3-3217U (1.80GHz 1600MHz 3MB) processor, 4GB of RAM, a 13.3-inch LED display with 1600 × 900 resolution, a 128GB SSD, and will last you up to 8 hours. It will be available in December.

HP ENVY ×2 PCConvertible tablet-notebooks aren't something new, but they have rarely been very successful. HP's ENVY ×2 seeks to change this. This 11.6-inch convertible unit weighs 3.1 lbs, and has an Intel Atom 1.8GHz dual core processor, LED-backlit IPS Display with 1366 × 768 resolution, up to 64GB of storage, 2GB of RAM, an 8MP rear-facing camera and a 1080p HD front facing webcam. It will cost $849.99 and will be available from HP on November 14th, 2012.

Asus Taichi Dual Screen Tablet/LaptopThere's something tantalizing about dual screen laptops. The Taichi has a Core i5 processor running at 1.7GHz, 4GB of RAM, 128GB SSD storage, and two USB 3.0 ports. The base model sells for $1,299. It weighs 2.75 lbs. Both 11.6-inch screens have a 1920 × 1080 resolution. The tablet is located on the outside, while you need to open the device to access the notebook. It will be available in November. A month later, the Taichi 31 is supposed to be released. It will cost $1,499 and has a 13-inch screen. It will have a 256GB SSD and a Core i7 processor.

Samsung Series 5 Ultra Touch UltrabookThis 13-inch machine has a starting price of $809.99 for the Core i3 version. It has a 1366 × 768 resolution, 4GB or RAM, 500GB of storage, with a 24GB SSD built-in directly on the motherboard. It weighs 3.83 lbs and will be available in November.

Vizio All-in-One Touchscreen PCVizio's refresh of their All-in-One PCs includes touchscreens so that you can get the most out of Windows 8. The resolution is 1920 × 1080 for the 24-inch and 27-inch model. Prices start at $999 and you'll get 4GB of RAM, 500 GB of storage, an Intel Core i3 processor clocked at 2.4GHz. The 27-inch starts at $1,249 and comes with 6GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and a Intel Core i5 processor running at 2.5GHz. These computers are currently in stock at Vizio.

Acer Iconia W510 ConvertibleThis 10.1-inch convertible tablet-laptop hybrid is more of a netbook-tablet than an ultrabook-tablet, but for $749.99, it's priced that way as well. It as an Atom processor and a 10.1-inch screen, which has 1366 × 768 resolution. It's been available since November 8. That price nets you the 64GB version, but for $100 less you can get the 32GV version.

LG H160 Sliding TabletThis tablet is different from what most of us are used too because it has a sliding keyboard, which is neatly hidden away. It's spring-loaded, so that it pops out at the push of a button. The screen is an 11.6-inch IPS display that works with LG's Smart Touch Pen. It weighs just over 2.3 lbs and is 0.63 inches thick. It has full-sized USB, HDMI, and microSD ports. It will have 10 hours of autonomy, which probably means that it's powered by a Clover Trail processor.

Sony VAIO Duo 11This ultrabook/convertible tablet is akin to the LG, and it also has an 11.6-inch screen with an 1920 × 1080 resolution. It's powered by an Ivy Bridge processor, weighs 2.87 pounds, and is 0.7mm thick. Sony says that it's autonomy is 4 hours and 45 minutes. It starts out at $1,099 and goes up to $1,499 for a 256 GB SSD with a i7-3517U (1.90/3.00GHz) dual core processor.

Acer Aspire 5600U & 7600UThese Acer all-in-one PCs look quite good and are already available. The larger 27-inch model will ship in late November. The 7600U will have a dedicated graphics card. The machines can be adjusted to different angles on their integrated stands. They can even go all the way to 90 degrees. The displays support multi-touch gestures. The sad thing is that the bigger model has the same 1080p resolution as the smaller model. Prices start at $999.99 for the 5600U and $1,899 for the 7600U.